Wednesday, February 16, 2011

With just 2 days to go for the most prestigious cricketing event in the world almost all preparations have been done.. The fans have already gone crazy... Not a single day passes by without the media talking abt it.. yes my friends... its once again time to celebrate.. once again its time to enjoy... the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 is back.. and this time its being held in 3 places where cricket is second to no other sport.. India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh!!

Its the largest cricketing event in the world. All the best teams in the world compete each other for that one cup!!! for that moment in history to record themselves that they have won the world cup!!!

So whats so special about this world cup that everyone keeps talking about it.. well the obvious answer is that its the damn CRICKET WORLD CUP!!! well other reasons are many...

If the 2007 World Cup was known for its controversy surrounding the "mysterious murder" of the Pakistan Team coach after the team got kicked out in the first round, the 2011 World Cup will be known for its pre event build up.. a host getting sacked, the biggest stadium in the 3 host countries being stripped of the right to host the most important game, plus so many other issues but this is not the time to talk about it.. so lets forget it. past is past and its time to forget it and go ahead with the future and what lies in it..

looking at the teams, this time 14 teams will be competing.. all the 10 full member nations plus 4 others who qualify thru a qualifier tournament. Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands and Kenya are the 14 teams that will compete for the Cup that Counts.

The last time the World Cup was played in the sub continent, it was the SRI LANKAN team that won the tournament in 1996. And most cricket commentators, writers and analysts have predicted India or Sri Lanka to win the tournament this time!! reason being the these two teams know the conditions of all these grounds better than any other nation and can adapt to it very easily.

So the hype is all up. Especially in Sri Lanka.. almost every musician has made a song in support of the Sri Lankan team for the World Cup. Various kinds of song, most of it are good but very are really good.. I personally have a collection of 20 different songs now.. and more are coming out every day.

in addition, Colombo has been all dressed up. hoardings all around Colombo. banners hanging everywhere.. all the local media are fully pumped up. articles, interviews, special segments all go out every day.

and best of all the people.. the Sri Lanka people... everyone except a very very few want the lions, the nations champions, the Sri Lankan cricket team to win again!! and the prediction is that, they will!! after all, it is the Sri Lankan Cricket Team!!! the best team in the world.. the team that holds the most number of records in international cricket. the team that has produced some of the best cricketers in the world. the team that from no where came on to win the Cricket World Cup back in 1996.

it was in 1996 under the leadership of Captain Cool Arjuna Ranatunga that Sri Lanka won the World Cup for the first time. That moment in history will never be forgotten by any Sri Lankan Cricket Fan. The final match that was played between Sri Lanka and Australia can be watched over and over again without being fed up. The team in 1996.. a team no one ever dreamed would win the World Cup came on to win the World Cup.

can Sanga who is also called Captain Cool and his team do the same thing again this year?? my belief is yes. they can. Sri Lanka has the right team to do it. and they CAN do it.. its jst a matter of executing the game plan properly and doing your duty properly.. one mistake is what it takes to loose a game..

apart from all this, this World Cup is going to be extra special for one other person and all his beloved fans around the world!!! and its non other than Murali!!! the greatest bowler in the world!! Murali has said that the World Cup will be his last tour as a member of the Sri Lankan team and after the World Cup he is going to retire from International Cricket. so its yet another reason for SL to win the World Cup.. to give murali the farewell he deserves.. in Murali's first World Cup they won it.. and now its his last World Cup and lets win it and give the worlds greatest the best farewell any cricketer can get!!!

with that said its time to wrap it up... GOOD LUCK TO THE SRI LANKA TEAM!!!

now its time to start getting ready to watch the matches.. hoping to go and see the SL v Aus match live too... lets c...

First of all, welcome to my blog. My Ahamed Nishadh from Sri Lanka. This is my personal blog where I would periodically write on anything and everything that comes into my mind. So read one. And if you like something, share your views by commenting. Also, if you don't like anything, you are free to leave and not come back.